Carton



April 18, 1939. c. G. JOHNSON CARTON Filed Oct. 29, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 yer; arr 01421.58 6. (JOHNSON.

April 18, 1939. c G. JOHNSON CARTON Filed Oct. 29, 1957 m a C 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 18, 1939 CARTON Charles G. Johnson, Owensboro, Ky., asslgnor to Ken-Rad Tube & Lamp Corporation, Owensboro, Ky., a corporation of Kentucky Application October 29, 1937, Serial No. 171,634

Claims.

This invention relates to a carton, and more particularly to two piece'double shell radio tube cartons of the type which permit sufiicient exposure of the radio tube to permit testing of the 5 same but which prevent complete removal of the radio tube except when the carton is partially or completely destroyed.

In the sale and distribution of radio tubes and r the like, it has been found highly desirable to. provide a carton which permits a testing of the tube without the tube being removed from the carton. and in which the tube can only be completely removed for use in a radio circuit by tearingor otherwise partially or completely destroying the carton. To provide a carton in which the radio tube is normally completely retained therein and yet provide an arrangement in which the base prongs of the radio tube may be inserted in a socket in the test equipment, it has been found a desirable to provide a two-piece double shell carton in which the inner shell is arranged for limited longitudinal movement with respect to the outer shell. That is to say, it'is desirable to arrange the inner shell of a double shell carton so that it can be moved sufllciently in a longitudinal direction to completely expose the base prongs of the radio tube. Since a ,complete removal of the inner shell from the outer shell of,

a carton would permit the removal of the radio tube without destroying the outer carton, it is very clear that the longitudinal movement. of the inner shell should be definitely restricted to a mere exposure of the. base prongs ofthe radio tube. From a manufacturing standpoint it is also considered highly desirable to construct the carton .wlth minimum number of pieces of material.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel carton for radio tubes and the a) like which permits a partial .exposure of the article housed therein, but which prevents complete removal thereof, except upon partial or complete destruction of the carton.

Another object of the present invention is to 50 and the like.

A.still further object ofthis invention is to provide a novel double shell radio tube carton constructed of only two 'pieces.-

- Another and further object of this invention a is to provide a novel carton for radio tubes and I the like having a window therein for exposinga portion of the radio tube at will.

Another and still further object of this invention is to provide a novel double shell carton having novel means for limiting the longitudinal movement of one'shell with respect to the other.

Also, another object of this invention is to provide a novel inner shell for double shell cartons which is formed from a single strip of material.

The novel features which I believe to be 'characteristic of my invention 'are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. My invention itself, however, both as to its organization, manner of construction, and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a front elevational view of a double shell radio tube carton with the inner shell in its normal position;

Figure 2'is a front elevational view of the double shell radio tube carton of Figure 1, the inner shell being in its lowermost position with the base prongs of the radio tube exposed;

Figure 3 is a developed view of the outer shell of the double shell radio tube carton;

Figure 4 is a developed view of the inner shell of the carton of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a side elevational view partly in cross section of the double shell radio tube carton of Figure l and of a radio tube housed therein;

Figure 6 is a ,view similar to Figure 5 but shows the inner shell of the carton in its lowermost position corresponding to Figure .2;

Figure '7 is a bottom view of .the double shell radio tube carton, the inner shell being in the position shown in Figure 6; and

Figure 8 is a top view of the double shell radio tube carton.

Referring now to the various figures of the drawings which illustrate one embodiment of my invention, a double shell carton I0 is provided for housing a radio tube II and includes in general an inner shell I! and outer shell l3. While a wide variety of materials may/be employed for forming the carton, a suitable grade of cardboard has been found to be extremely satisfactory. As will presently be more fully understood, the

inner shell I2 'is arranged for limited longitudinal movement within the outer shell l3. This limited longitudinal movement of the inner shell 12 with respect to the outer shell-l3 permits the exposure of the base prongs ll of the radio tube ii. In Figure 1 of the drawings, the carton is shown with the inner shell' l2 completely enveloped within the outer shell 13. In Figure 2 ofthe drawings, the inner shell I2 hasbeen is moved longitudinally with respect to the outer shell it until the'base prongs ll of the radio tube II are fully exposed. j

The outer shell ll of the carton I is formed from a single sheet of cardboard and folded along 10 four longimdinal lines A, B, C, and D. The folding of the sheet of cardboard along the four longitiidinallinesA.,B,C,'andDasshowninFiguN 3 of the drawings provides four sections II, I I, I1, and II of substantially the same shape and area,andanfthsectionilwhichactsasatab for engaging theflrst section It. After the sheet ,ofeardb'oard has been folded li s the lines.

A,B.' C, and D; the'tab .l. may bedded (I smtauy t0 the longitudinalmarginal edge 0! the section ll" As will be readily understood by-those skilled in the an,

- this form's'a shell of substantially squarecrosssectional-connguration. Forareasonwhichwillpresently appeana flrectangular openin Iliscutoutofthesection ll. Y Y -..Thsinnershell l2 ofthedoubleshellcarton-ll is cut from a single strip of cardboard in the manner shown in Figure 4 of the drawings.

I More specifically, ears 2| are cut at one endtions 2| and 26;"A double end wall is providedv for the upper part of the carton It by the. sec-, tions 28 and 29. As will presently be explained,

the section 28 is arranged to. form the uppermost end wall partition of the carton, while the end a wall or section 29 isarranged to extend in' parallel but spaced relationship below-the section 28.

The base wall 21 is provided with a relatively large opening III therein which permits the base prongs ll of the radio tube l I to extend therethrough but which is not sufliciently large to permit the base ll itself to pass therethrough. The lower partition 29 of the double end wall is providedwith an opening 32 through which the upper portion 31 of. the radio tube l'l may extend (see'Flgures 5 and 6). The partition; 28 of the double end wall is provided with a smaller open presently appear, a longitudinal guide slot 36 is" provided in proximity to the laterally extending ears 2|, and two slots 31 are provided between partitions 28 and 29 of the double end wallfor the reception of the laterally extending ears 2|. A rectangular opening I! is provided in the side wall 2' which is of slightly greater size than the rectangular opening 20 which is provide'd in the section I! of the outer shell I3. As will presently be understood, opening 38 of the inner'shell l2 and opening 20 of the outer shell I! are arranged 1 to coincide when the inner shell I2 is inv its lowermost position. This provides a window through which a portion of the radio tube may be seen.

Referring now to Figure 5 of the drawings, the manner in which the inner shell i2 is folded and disposed within the outer-shell i3 isclearly shown. The end of the strip oi cardboard having the slot 36 therein is disposed in the upper right hand side of the outer "shell ll. From there it extends downwardly'forming the side wall portions 25, and then it extends laterally across to 5 form the end or base portion 2| From there it extends upwardly forming the side 'wall 26 until it reaches approximately the top of the outer shell I! again. From there it is folded across the upper part of the carton forming the 10 upper partition of the double end wall until it reaches theopposite side of the carton. From there it is bent downwardly again forming a section I! which is provided with the longitudinal slot 21 therein. It then extends again across the 15 I carton in the form of partition 29 which forms an intermediate partition or lower partition for the double end wall. It finally terminates in anupwardly extending tab 4| which lies against the side wall 2'. I through the slots 31 and thereby definitely hold the opposite end walls of the inner shell i2" in predetermined spaced relationship with respect, to each other. The tabs 22, 23, and 24 greatly reinforce the inner shell in a manner which will. u

readily be appreciated by those skilled in the art. The novel manner in which the longitudinal movement of the inner shell l2 within the outer shell II is restricted will now be, described. An

eyelet or similar guide stud U is secured to the I outer shell II opposite the longitudinal slot 36 of the inner shell i2 and extends therethrough. The eyelet II is crimped or spun over at its inner end as at 42, which prevents separation of the inner shell from the eyelet II. From a close ina spection of Figures 5 and 6 of the drawings, it will readily be appreciated that by spinning or crimping the end of the eyelet in such a manner thatthe eyelet 4| is free to move within the slot 38, a convenient and simple arrangement is provided for limiting the longitudinal movement of the inner shell l2 within the outer shell it of the carton Ill. It will also be appreciated that by virtue of the fact that the end 42 of the eyelet II is spun over or otherwise expanded, the inner shell [2 cannot thereafter be removed from the outer shell' IS without partially or completely destroying one or the other or both.

The length of the longitudinal slot 36 is governed by the length of thev base prong H of m c the radio tube ll. Particularly, the slot 16' should be of sumcient length to permit full extension of the base prongs l4 below the. base edge of the outer shell I! as is shown in Figure 6 ofthe drawings.

In order that the side wall of the inner shell I2 will not interfere with the end of the eyelet 4!, a hole 43 is cut-in" the-.inner shell in the upper part'oi the strip of cardboard lying between partitions 28 and 29 and extending around 00 "into a part of partition 28. (See Figures 4, 5,

and 6.) As is clearly shown in Figure 5, the spun or crimped end. 42 of the eyelet extends into this opening vll when the inner shell I2 is in its upper position with respect to the outer shell 6 13. When the inner shell I2 is moved down- The ears 2| are extended an adjacent the lower surface of the base ii of the 1 radio tube H; In this position it will readily be understood that the prongs I4 may be pushed into the usual radio tube socket.

The general appearance of the top of the car-. ton II witha radio tube mountedtherein is shown in Figure 8. As is clearly shown in this figure, as well as Figures 5 and 6,-the top cap 35 of the radio tube extends upwardly through the opening 34. Note should be taken that this top cap 35 of the radio tube H is' free at all times both when the inner shell i2 is inv its upper position, as well as when the inner shell I2 is in its lower position, to be connected to the usual conductor and conductor connecting clip" which is employed to connect this part of the radio tube to thecircuit in which the radio tube is to be employed. I

Although the type of tube which is housed in a carton of the above type and other marks of identification are commonly printed on one or more of the exterior surfaces of the carton, it

has been found desirable to check the form of the tube by an identifying mark on the tube itself. As is well known to those skilled in the art, radio tubes are manufactured in a wide variety of forms, such for example as diodes, duo-diodes, triodes, tetrodes, pentodes,- and other multi-electrode and multi-unit tubes. Each tube generally carries an identifying mark on the outer surface of its envelope in the form of a letter, a number, or a'combination of letters and numbers which indicates the exact nature and characteristics of that particular radio tube. For example, the radio tube may contain a number such as is shown in Figure2 of the drawings. For example, the number 51 is generally understood by the radio tube manufacturing industry as designating a triple grid detector-amplifier. The out out portion 38 in the side wall 26 of the inner shell I! is arranged so that it lies opposite the tube identification mark when the tube is positioned in the carton. As previously pointed out, this cut out portion 38 is arranged to coincide with the cut out portion of the outer shell l3 when the inner shell I! has been moved to its lowermost position with the base prong it -of the radio tube H projecting therefrom. In this position the cut out portions 20 and 38 act as windows through which. the identification mark of the radio tube ll may} be readily seen. Other identification marks, such for example as price and the like, may be placed on the outer surface of the envelope of the radio tube at approximately the same height as the principal identification mark. of the tube so that by grasping the cap and rotating the radio tube ll these other identification marks maybe progressively passed in front ofthewindows 20 and 38. When the inner shell I! is in its uppermost position, the windows 20 and 38 do not coincide so that no opening is left through the carton through which dust, debris, and other foreign matter may pass while the tube is being stored.

It will also be readily understood by those skilled in the art that any desired marking can be made on the radio tube afterit has once been confined in the carton through the windows 20 and 38. The placing of such additional markings on the radio tube does not affect or harm the carton itself and for that reason the carton may be delivered intact to the customer thereafter. This is a highly desirable and advantageous feature of the present invention.-

The manner in which a radio tube is packed in a carton of the above type will now be-described. Assume that the outer shell has already been formed as previously described and the inner shell is in its extended or developed position as shown in Figure 4. The inner shell blank is first folded on the four score lines beginning at the top of the blank as viewed in Figure 4 and progressing downwardly, and the dome 33 and the top cap 35 of the radio tube are inserted in the holes 32 and 34 respectively. The shell blank is then folded on the remaining score lines, placing the base pins H of the radio tube ll through the hole 30 in the base end 21 of the shell l2. The locking ears 2| arethen placed 7 through the slot 31 to complete the inner shell or slide assembly. The inner shell I 2 containing the tube is then placed in the outer shell l3 with the longitudinal eyelet slot 36 opposite theeyelet hole 44 in the wall ii of the outer shell I3. An eyelet ll is then placed through the hole 44 and the slot 36, and the end 42 is then spread, crimped; or otherwisealtered in shape to prevent its removal without damage to the shell of the carton-.10, and yet permitting it to move freely in the slot 36. .While the eyelet H has been described with its head on the outer side of the carton ill and its inner end spread out, it is to be understood that the head of the eyelet ll 'may be placed on' the inside hi the carton III so that the eyelet will extend through the slot 36 and the hole 44 and have its end spread or crimped on the exterior side of the carton Hi. When the tube and inner .shell is so assembled within the outer shell l3 to form the carton lo, the windows 20 and 38 are positioned on the same side of the carton and arranged to be in and out of coincidence with each other depending upon whether the inner shell I! is in its lowermost or uppermost position within the outer shell l3.

From the above description, it will. ;be seen that I have provided an extraordinarily eifective double shell radio tube carton of a tamper proof type and yet which permits testing of the radio tube when desiredwithout removal of the same from the carton. It will also be understood that'the above carton can readily and economically be manufactured and that it is rugged and reliable in use.

I claim as my invention:

1. A carton for housing radio tubes comprising an outer shell, an inner shell slidably mounted within said outer shell and having end portions for extension across the upper and lower ends of a radio tube, one of said shellshaving a longitudinal slot therein, a stop member carried by the other of said members and extending through said slot to form a'pin and slot connection, and means on said stop member for preventing removal thereof from said slot, said pin and slot connection being such that said inner shell maybe longitudinally moved tg,.expose the base prongs of the radio tube but not suillciently to' remove the radio tube from said carton.

2. In a double shell radio tube carton, an inner shell comprising a single strip of material folded to provide successively a side wall, an end wall, a second side wall, a second end wall, a

extending through said slots to position said spacing member relative to said side wall, said slots extending longitudinally of said strip so as to leave a strong connection between said seeond end wall and said intermediate wall.

3. An inner shell for double shell radio tube cartons and the like comprising a single strip of material folded at a plurality of points therealong to provide sidewalls, an end wall for the 10 base of a radio tube,and a-double end wall for 15 tion of said strip, whereby a radio tube can only be removed from said inner shell upon destruction or removal of said inner shell from the outer shell of said carton.

4.'A do'uble shell carton for housing radio v.50 tubes and the like comprising an outer shell, an

inner shell slidably mounted. within said outer shell and having a longitudinal guide slot in one wall thereof, andan eyelet extending through said outer shell and said guide slot for limiting the relative longitudinal movement of said inner shell with respect to said outer shell.

5. A double shell carton for housing radio tubes and the like comprisingan outer shell, and an inner shell slidably mounted within said outer shell and having a longitudinal guide slot in one wall thereof, said inner shell having a side wall and an end wall which extends across said shell and abuts said side wall at an intermediate position'along the length of said slot, and a stop member carried by said outer shell extending through said slot of said inner shell and having a head on its inner end to prevent removal thereof from said slot, said end wall being cut out to permit the free passage of the head of said stop member.

CHARLES a. JOHN8ON. 2 

